PML-N, ANP senators spar over death of Gujranwala sanitary worker at Senate committee meeting

On Wednesday, a Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights meeting in Islamabad turned heated as PML-N Senator Abid Sher Ali and ANP chief Senator Aimal Wali Khan debated the questioning of Suthra Punjab officials regarding the death of a Gujranwala waste management worker. The committee was examining the case of an employee of the Gujranwala Waste Management Company (GWMC) who is alleged to have taken his own life after receiving only half of his salary and having his contract terminated.

Tensions escalated when Senator Khan aggressively questioned officials, while Senator Ali objected to the tone, accusing them of conducting an inquiry like a police station. When another member proposed turning off the cameras, Ali defended his right to speak freely, saying, "I am speaking properly — you speak properly too." The situation was eventually diffused by committee members.

The deceased worker had been employed by GWMC from 2024 to 2025, with his contract expiring on May 31, 2026. The committee learned that he allegedly died after his employment ended. However, GWMC CEO Abdul Razaque Ali Dogar countered this, asserting that bank records showed full salary payments were made and that the worker had performance issues.

The issue of how Suthra Punjab managed to engage the contractor before the Suthra Punjab Act came into force in 2026 also came under scrutiny. Senator Quratulain Marri questioned the hiring model, pointing out the discrepancy between the act's implementation and the worker's employment. Khan highlighted the provision of a plot to the worker's widow, asking why it was given if the worker was no longer in service at the time of his death.

The committee directed Suthra Punjab to submit copies of relevant laws for 2025 and 2026 and asked about any redressal mechanisms beyond financial compensation. Just a month prior, another Suthra Punjab worker had set himself on fire due to non-payment of his full salary, succumbing to his injuries two days later after a CCTV recorded his actions. The contractor was alleged to have illegally deducted a significant portion of the workers' monthly salaries.